When in Rome
by Terry6
Summary: Tulio and Miguel flee to Rome, Italy to live the rest of their lives as free men, but they are pursued by a crazed bounty hunter, who's determined to get them. Dead or alive. Chapter 5 is up!
1. Starting Over

1523, Rome, Italy  
  
Tulio breathed in the fresh Italian air as he and Miguel sat in the back of a cart that they had hitch hiked. It was a really beautiful country and what was even more wonderful was that he was with the most beautiful man he had ever seen.  
  
Miguel and Tulio had been friends since childhood, but had only been lovers a couple of years now. In fact, they didn't start to become lovers until Chel had left. Soon, they started to have feelings for each other, but were too embarrassed to admit it. Miguel was the first to declare his love for Tulio, but Tulio was still reluctant to express his feelings and turned him down. Miguel, heartbroken, became suicidal after that. But when Tulio came to his house one day to find him nearly dead, Tulio proclaimed his love for him and they were inseparable ever since.  
  
But why were they in Rome, you ask? Well, they had been starving for quite some time, so one day they decided to pull off the grand daddy of all cons. They robbed a bank. Foolish? Yes. Stupid? Absolutely. But they were desperate. Soon afterwards, their reward money had been upped to a whopping 100,000 doubloons. Tired of living as thieves, having the all the money they could ever dream (except for when they were in El Dorado), and being the most wanted criminals in all of Spain, they decided to start fresh and move as far as they could from their old home. France was too close for their likes, they hated Portugal and Germany seemed to be having some sort of revolt. Italy seemed to be the best choice. It was a decent, beautiful country and arts, literature and plays flourished there. So that's were they headed.  
  
"This is as far as I go, gentiluomini." the driver said before stopping the cart. Tulio and Miguel hopped off and handed the man a few gold coins. "Grazie." he the man said before starting off down the road again.  
  
"Now what?" Miguel asked.  
  
Tulio took out a little piece of paper in his vest pocket. "We're supposed to find a.uh. Guy-oh-van-ee. A-ghost-tin-oh. Geez, I don't know how to pronounce this shit." Tulio sighed.  
  
"It says Giovanni Agostino." Miguel chirped in a perfect Italian accent. He smiled smugly as Tulio glared.  
  
"Okay then, signore, why don't YOU ask for directions."  
  
Miguel stood up straight and proudly. "It would be an honor." and strutted off to the next person. "Scusarme. Dove il Signore Giovanni Agostino vive?" After getting the information he needed, he walked back. "He lives ten blocks from here."  
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell me you spoke Italian? I looked like an idiot trying to get directions back in Imperia!" Tulio spat.  
  
"I know. That's why I didn't interfere." Miguel smiled again. Tulio sighed and rubbed his temples, but inside he was smiling. He loved Miguel so much. But he still kept his stubborn stature and followed Miguel to Giovanni Agostino's house.  
  
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Nearly two hours later, after Tulio and Miguel had signed all the papers and paid all the fees, they were inside their brand new Italian flat. It was very cozy and beautifully well furnished, with an fine oak dresser with a tall clean mirror, a beautiful woven rug that spread out in front of the huge mahogany bed with soft, downy pillow and mattress, luscious satin sheets, and a beautiful silk tapestry hanging above it. It even had a balcony with a perfect view of the city. Miguel stepped out into the night, followed closely by Tulio.  
  
"Oh my god! This is amazing! We have a beautiful flat, a wonderful view, and all the money we need!.. It-it's so overwhelming!" Miguel breathed in the air and sighed contently. "Oh, Tulio! This is the best."  
  
"No." Tulio said. "You see all this we have here? These are just materials. You, Miguel, are the best. I would give up all of this for you."  
  
Miguel's brow narrowed disbelievingly. "Please! You've always dreamed of living the high life. You were even willing to. live it. without me." Miguel's smile faded as he said this, remembering what Tulio said to Chel on that heartbreaking day in El Dorado. He sighed and stared at the floor, only to be tipped up again by Tulio's finger to make their eyes meet.  
  
"That was before I realized how much I deeply love you. And if you don't believe me." Tulio slowly came closer to Miguel and kissed his lips sweetly. Miguel returned this gently, sticking his tongue in and lapping it around Tulio's. Their tender kiss grew more and more fiercer as the seconds passed, and were soon shoving the faces into each other and running their fingers through each others hair. They separated, gasping for air and hair askew, with looks of lust and hunger in their eyes.  
  
Tulio then scooped up Miguel (who shouted in surprise) flung him onto the bed, and pounced on him. He then kissed him hard, licking all inside his mouth and sucking his lips. Soon he began dry humping him, causing Miguel to moan. This sent tingles down Tulio's spine and straight to his loins.  
  
Miguel grabbed the back of Tulio's shirt and thrust it over his head. Then he shoved Tulio off of him and straddled his waist. Ever so slowly, he unbuckled his belt while gently massaging Tulio's hard area. Tulio writhed on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, groaning and rolling his eyes back into his head. Soon Tulio member was free, thrusting upward and leaking pre cum. "Well hello there." Miguel growled before bending down and started to lick it.  
  
Tulio let out a shivering scream and pushed Miguel's head down, bucking wildly into Miguel's throat. But amidst the mind blowing ecstasy that flooded Tulio's entire being, he felt a little guilty. Surely Miguel should have some pleasure in this as well. He sat up while Miguel continued to deep throat him. It was difficult to do even this because he was so intoxicated with pleasure that that little shift in movement made Miguel's sucking and nibbling even better. Eyes blurring, Tulio managed to unbuckle Miguel's pants and drop them to his knees. Then he cupped his hands around Miguel's own aroused cock and began pumping fiercely.  
  
Miguel muffled scream of pleasure made Tulio's cock tighten harder and his eyes cross a little. He then noticed that Miguel was so distracted by Tulio's pumping that he had stopped, with Tulio's member still down his throat. So Tulio stopped. "I'll start again as soon as you do!" Tulio panted, making Miguel snap back to reality and continue.  
  
The pain in Tulio's cock grew more and more. And he was loving it. "OH GOD!!! YES!!!" He screamed as he finally came, filling Miguel's throat with semen. Soon Miguel spilled his own into Tulio's hands and slid out from underneath him, panting erratically and grinning like an idiot.  
  
Tulio laid down on Miguel's chest, listening to his lungs suck in air as he licked his hands clean. Finally calmed down and breathing normally, Tulio asked. "Now do you believe that I love you?"  
  
Miguel looked down at Tulio, the lust in his eyes replaced by unbreakable love. "Yes. And I love you."  
  
They fell asleep in each others arms on that beautiful night in Rome, happy that they were going to be with each other for the rest of their lives as free men.  
  
Or so they thought.... 


	2. The Ugly Saint

"Excuse me seignior!" said a voice, making the cart driver spin around in surprise. "Pardon me, I did not mean to startle you. I am looking for these two fugitives on the run. They are highly wanted in Spain. Have you, by any chance, seen them?" The man held up a wanted poster of Tulio and Miguel to the driver's face, who was still quite shaken from the man's mysterious and somewhat terrifying presence.  
  
"S-Si seignior! I drove them to Rome about two weeks ago. But that's all I know! I swear!" the driver squeaked.  
  
"Thank you for your time and patience, my good man." The man shook the driver's hand hard and jerkily, almost breaking the poor guy's arm in half. Within half a second, the driver whipped the reins sharply, and he and his donkey sped off out of the stranger's sight.  
  
This man was once known as Diego Onofre, this man did not go by his birth name, but by his nickname, which you will soon learn why. He was once a very holy man, but an accident in his youth changed him. Physically and mentally. He was then known as El Sancho Feo, or The Ugly Saint, and he was the most infamous bounty hunter in all of Europe. Thieves, ruffians, and even murderers feared him. As did the rest of the public. But even though he was feared, he was the best at capturing bandits. Dead or alive. But mostly, in his case, he liked them dead.  
  
Now he was enlisted to capture these two hoodlums because the captain of the guards was so desperate to get them out of his hair and punished for their crimes. At first he wasn't interested to do it, saying he was too good to be capturing petty thieves. That was when he heard that the two of them were lovers.  
  
"Two grownup men sleeping with each other?" he growled, making the captain shiver in his armor. "Hmm.. That's is a very unforgivable sin in the Lord's eyes.. I shall do it then, not just for the money. But for humanity's sake." And so he set off on his journey. That was four weeks ago. Now he had just entered the streets of Rome, looking for Tulio and Miguel.  
  
-------------  
  
"What the hell is this stuff?" Tulio said, poking at a very strange looking piece of meat. He and Miguel were sitting on the patio of a small café, and were not too happy about what they were served.  
  
"That is our Haggis Sausage, seignior." replied the waiter, impatiently waiting to be paid for his service.  
  
"Um. What exactly is in Haggis Sausage?" Miguel said, looking at his meal in disgust.  
  
The waiter sighed. "It is made of the finest ox secum, chilled overnight in salt water, and mixed with the finest sheep lungs, heart, liver and fat trimmings, and two sliced onions and our chef's favorite seasonings." The waiter smiled and kissed the air in satisfaction. Tulio and Miguel, however, looked absolutely appalled.  
  
"What the? - What are you trying to do? Poison us?! Tulio pushed the plate as far away from him as he could. "I don't want to eat a disemboweled sheep!"  
  
"Or ox secum! Whatever that is.." Miguel shade, turning a brilliant shade of green.  
  
The waiter snorted in disgust. "The chef slaughtered his most prized ram for you two fine nobles."  
  
Tulio's eye twitched a little. "Well you tell the chef that he needs to buy a cookbook! Can you please just bring us simple salad please? And hold the organs."  
  
Shocked by such rudeness, the waiter picked up the plates and smiled smugly. "Certo, lei stupido Spagnolo maiali!"  
  
"I understand Italian, idiot." Miguel snapped. The waiter turned red with fury and embarrassment and simply huffed away. "You better check that salad for spit when he comes back." Miguel said, laughing.  
  
Tulio shook his head "Nah, I feel to sick to eat right now. You enjoy it. I want to look around a little. I might even buy you a present." He said in a singsong voice.  
  
"Okay. But no meats. I'm not really fond of them right now." Miguel smiled.  
  
Tulio bent down to give Miguel a little kiss, but was stopped when a huge hand clunked onto his shoulder. "Señor Tulio and Señor Miguel. What a pleasure to see you two here." A deep, icy voice made Tulio's insides shudder. He slowly turned around to see a giant of a man with his face hidden by his cloak. It was Sancho Feo, or Diego Onofre.  
  
"O-oh? And why is it a pleasure?" Tulio managed to squeak.  
  
Diego laughed a half laugh, have gargling noise from his throat before he spoke. "Because I have a few gentlemen back in Spain who would love to see you. Well, see you hanging by your throats, that is."  
  
Suddenly, a flash of metal came in front of Tulio's face and clanged into Diego's hooded one. He gave a strangled yell of pain and shock and crashed into one of the wooden tables. Tulio saw that Miguel had just slapped Diego across the face with a food tray.  
  
"Let's go!" Tulio said, grabbing Miguel's wrist and running as fast as he could down the street and towards their apartment.  
  
"Who was that guy?!" Miguel panted from behind him.  
  
"I have no idea. But the guy sounded like a fucking lunatic!" Tulio said, gasping for air.  
  
"What'll we do now?!" Miguel shouted.  
  
"We have to leave! We're not safe here! We need-" But he stopped in his tracks, making Miguel collide into him. Diego was standing was standing right in front of them.  
  
"How did- we just left you!" Tulio stammered.  
  
"You two will soon learn out that I am not you average man." He growled, and lunged forward.  
  
But Tulio jumped out of the way, pulling Miguel with him. Diego bounced on the ground but was up in no less than a second. "How sweet." He snarled, looking at Tulio and Miguel embrace each other. "But also sickening. You see, I am against homos like yourselves. Hmm. I think I'll torture you both before I bring you back to Spain."  
  
But before he finished his sentence, Tulio and Miguel began sprinting as fast as they could away from him. "Ah, they're heading for the woods." He whispered. "Perfect."  
  
-------------  
  
Tulio collapsed onto a tree, panting so hard that it hurt to breathe. Both he and Miguel were soaked with sweat and their feet were positively killing them. After several long minutes, Miguel finally croaked, "Now what?"  
  
And for the first time in his life, Tulio said, "I don't know."  
  
Miguel limped over and sat down next to Tulio. "Well, I guess we're going to have to keep running for the rest of our lives." He sighed. "Or at least until that. thing dies. Was that even a man?"  
  
"Sure as hell didn't sound like one. He sounded like some mad dog or something." Tulio rubbed his head, desperately thinking of a plan. But he found nothing. Sadly, he pulled Miguel close to him and began running his fingers through his golden hair. "I wouldn't worry though. We've been running quite a long time and he sounded pretty sick. I don't think- YEEEOW!!!" Tulio screamed, making Miguel jump away from him in surprise.  
  
"What is it?! What's wrong?!" Miguel shouted.  
  
"Something bit me or something! On the back of my shoulder! Get it!" Tulio said, clawing his shoulder and trying to reach it.  
  
Miguel crawled over and pulled out the thing that had "bit" Tulio. "It's a dart." Miguel said, showing Tulio a long wooden dart with feathers tied to it. Suddenly, as quick as lightening, another swooped through the air and impaled itself into Tulio's leg, barely missing Miguel.  
  
"OOOW!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" Tulio screamed. He turned his head in the direction in which the dart came from, and there was Diego, holding a tube in his hand. "Oh no! Get up! Run!"  
  
He and Miguel started to run, but Tulio felt something wrong. He became more and more heavy with every step, his vision began to blur, and he was growing extremely tired. "Miguel!" he tried to cry out, but it came out as a small whimper. He finally fell to the ground, exhausted and afraid. Before he fell into unconsciousness, he heard the man laughing. "I'll go after your little friend later. But first, I think I'll have a little fun with you."  
  
And then, all went black. 


	3. The Birth of the Ugly Saint

Miguel ran blindly through the forest, branches swatting him and tearing into his skin. He felt like he would explode at any minute, but he kept running. He was running so hard that he didn't notice that Tulio wasn't with him.  
  
Finally Miguel stopped running and collapsed onto the ground. His heart pounded dangerously in his chest and it hurt to breathe. Splotches of colors danced across his eyes and the only sound he could hear was his own raspy breathing.  
  
"I-.... I think we lost him Tulio.... Tulio?.... Tulio?!" Miguel yelled out into the woods, but no answer came. "TULIO!!!" He suddenly found himself running again, back to where they were. But the only thing he found was a dart. He picked it up and stared at it, tears falling down his face. "No.... Tulio."  
  
* * * * *  
  
****"Tulio, do you love me?"****  
  
****"Of course I do. Why would you ask such a thing?"****  
  
****"No reason. I just love hearing you say it."****  
  
****"Really? Well, I love hearing you scream it."****  
  
****"Oh, yes! Yes! Ye-"****  
  
"Come on." said a raspy voice, trying it's best to be sweet and singsong. "Wake up.." Tulio slowly shook his head, a horrible pain filling his entire being. He could practically feel his whole body throbbing in agony, and it made him sick. With a great heave, he let out a stream of hot, burning vomit onto the floor. The voice began to laugh. "Yes, nausea is one of the dart's many side affects."  
  
Tulio opened his eyes. He was in a dungeon with his hands shackled to the wall above his head and sitting on the cold stones floor. In front of him was the man that he and Miguel had been running from. He looked even huger and more menacing than before, but his face was still hidden.  
  
"Remarkable little thing, isn't it?" the man said, twirling the dart around his thick fingers. "This is an African dart. I stayed with a tribe for a year in my youth, studying their culture and ways of survival. Yes.... This little thing has helped me capture many sinners in the past. The poison is strong enough to knock out a bull for hours."  
  
"Where- where am I?" Tulio whispered.  
  
"You are in an Italian prison. I know it's a little dirty, but as soon as I catch your lover I will be taking you back to Spain." The man seemed to cringe at the word "lover" but still sounded terrifying.  
  
"Okay- and who, or what, the hell are you?" Tulio asked.  
  
The man breathed in sharply and strode over to Tulio and slapped him hard. So hard, in fact, that the chains holding Tulio's wrists nearly ripped off the wall. Tulio gasped in pain and surprise. How could anyone hit that hard?  
  
"Watch your tongue, filthy cock sucker. God is watching." He walked back over to the other wall and continued talking calmly. "I am Diego Onofre, but you might have heard of me by my nickname. El Sancho Feo?"  
  
Tulio looked up, the color dripping from his face. "The Ugly Saint? The most feared and greatest bounty hunter that ever set foot in Spain?"  
  
"In the world." Diego snarled.  
  
"I've heard stories about you! They say you took down Francisco the Terrible seven years ago. Wasn't he the guy who raped and murdered all those woman and children?"  
  
"I see my reputation succeeds me. Yes, I did. I watched him hang until the blood poured from his eyes and I saw them burn him afterwards. It was very entertaining. But he wasn't my biggest score. No.... I've had better. My first one actually.  
  
"I've heard different variations of that story-"  
  
"And all of them are wrong!.... I remember it like yesterday. August 17th, 1485. I was out in the courtyard of the church, writing, when all of a sudden I was knocked out and taken to the forest. When I woke up I saw that I had been kidnapped by an African slave. A cannibal. He had slit my throat open when I was unconscious so I couldn't scream out for help. He didn't kill me though. I think he was getting his revenge of our God and our supremacy, so he cut me up while I was still alive. Everyday he cut off a chuck of my body with a huge, rusty ax and ate it in front of me, grinning. Those horrible teeth, yellow and decaying, and those lifeless brown eyes. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"When he had fallen asleep, I chewed off the ropes that held me and slowly crawled over to the beast. I gently tied the rope around his ankles and threw the slack over a branch. Then I pulled the little savage off the ground and tied it to the tree. I watched him scream as he tried to undo his feet, laughing. Then I picked up his ax and, with all of my might, sliced him in half from groin to neck. All of the blood, the bile, excrement, everything spilled out onto my robes and flesh. And I loved it. It made me feel alive. That's when I found my calling. I would right all the injustice in the world by punishing those who, in God's eyes, were not fit too live."  
  
Tulio was sickened. "And wh-who is not fit in God's eyes?"  
  
"Robbers, murderers, whores, liars, cheaters.... And cock suckers, like yourself."  
  
Tulio felt his face grow hot with anger. "Wouldn't God let us do something that makes us happy? So what if I'm gay? I love my Miguel, and as long as I have faith in God, I shall fear no evil."  
  
"Well spoken, cock sucker. I'm surprised to see a little sinner like you reads the word of God. Does it burn when you touch it?"  
  
"Stop calling me cock sucker!!!" Tulio screamed, straining against his shackles. "Oh, and by the way, I think God isn't really to fond about perverted madmen like yourself!"  
  
"Madman? Me?' Diego snarled, and he tugged the shawl away from his face.  
  
Tulio screamed in horror. Underneath the cloth was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. The man had no nose, one eye missing, and no eyelids on his remaining eye. He practically had no cheeks, for they looked like they had been nearly scraped off, and his bottom lip was gone, showing bleached bone and veins.  
  
"I think I have a reason to be mad, don't you think?" 


	4. It Starts

.  
  
"Seignior?" a voice rang out, cutting between the horrible silence. Tulio tore his eyes away from the monster of a man and saw one of the Italian guards holding a case of some sort. "This just arrived today."  
  
"Good." Diego growled, wrapping the cloth back over his face and walking over to the man. "Now would you be so kind as to leave me to my work, please?" As soon as the guard stumbled back through the door and locked it, Diego whipped around and stared at Tulio. "I don't suppose you know what is in that bag, do you?"  
  
Tulio swallowed, trying to force the knot in his throat down. "If I have to guess," he croaked, "I'd say that it's full of very painful torture devices."  
  
"Very good, heathen. You don't seem too stupid to know your fate." He placed the bag on the grimy table and began to unload. The first were two, long leather whips with the ends tied to what looked like fishhooks of some sort. Then he pulled out several fireplace pokers, many rusted metal clamps and, lastly, a couple of pliers. "Doesn't this look like fun?" Diego snarled.  
  
"God...." Tulio trembled. He didn't know what was worse, the little toys that were planned to destroy him or being in the presence of the infamous Sancho Feo.  
  
"Do not use the Lord's name in vain, harlot!" Diego screamed, punching Tulio across the face again. Tulio definitely heard something crack that time and screamed. "Listen to me. You and that other one stole all the gold and silver in a bank in Spain, and they're not too happy about it. Tell me where the money is, and I promise I won't hurt you too bad." Diego's eyes (The only part of his face showing) flashed an evil red.  
  
"I-I dunna." Tulio slurred, positive that his jaw was now broken. "M- Miguh hid da money somewhere. Only he knows!" Tears flowed down his face. 'Why did I say that?' he screamed to himself. 'He'll kill Miguel for that! Oh God, Miguel.' The thought of Miguel, with his beautiful green eyes and long golden hair and laughing smile, shattered his heart. If he was to die, he was sure that Miguel would kill himself. Or if Miguel died, he would kill himself. All in all, they were doomed.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Diego said calmly, and unshackled Tulio's hands, causing them to flop down lifelessly. Then, grabbing a handful of black hair, he lugged Tulio across the floor (with Tulio kicking and yelling the entire way) until they reached the middle of the room. He then hurled the Spaniard onto the table and strapped his arms and legs down, so he was unable to move. "Now since this is your first time with the great Sancho Feo, I'm going to do you a little favor." the monster said, holding up the pair of pliers. "I'm going to start out by ripping out your back teeth so I don't mess us that pretty little smile of yours."  
  
The way that Diego said that last remark made Tulio shudder. Pretty little smile? That couldn't be good. But, his mind clouded with fear, all he could say was, "Gee, thanks."  
  
Diego grasped Tulio's broken jaw and forced it down as low as he could, causing Tulio to cry out in pain. But that was nothing. Tulio then felt the madman shove the pliers into his mouth, latch onto one of molars, and ripped it out. Tulio screamed as his mouth was filled with raging pain and the coppery taste of blood. He thrashed his head side to side until Diego finally grabbed his bloody face and held him in place.  
  
"You are making this difficult. Guards! Hold his head down!" Tulio felt two pairs of hands grab his face as the horrible colors and stars dance across his face. But three more times he felt the thundering pain as more teeth were pulled out. Finally his face was let go and he was untied. "If I don't catch your lover in the next twelve hours, I'll come back for you." Diego growled in Tulio's ear. "So I suggest you get some sleep."  
  
And Tulio was left alone, lying on the table, trying not to choke on his own blood. Slowly he rolled himself off the table and onto the cold floor, soothing his feverish skin. As his world faded into pained darkness, he could practically feel Miguel's arms wrapping around his waist and whispering, "It's all right Tulio. I'm here."  
  
"If only it were true...." Tulio rasped, falling into a nightmarish sleep.  
  
-------------  
  
Miguel burst through the door of Tulio and his apartment, only to find it a total mess. The sheets and the bed were ripped apart, shelves and cupboards emptied, mirrors smashed and objects cluttering the floor. But Tulio or the mysterious man was not there.  
  
"Ah...." Miguel groaned, clutching his chest as he tried to return his breathing to normal. His throat was raw from panting, his legs felt like they would fall off any minute and his heart was pounding much to hard for it's own good. "Calm down, calm down, calm down...." Now was not the time to pass out. He had to find Tulio! However, as he stepped outside the building, he was face to face with about six guards.  
  
"Get him!" the leader of the group shouted, but Miguel was too fast for them. He dodged into the alleys, jumping over the random piles of trash or the occasional tramp sleeping up against the wall. But the horrible spikes of pain doubled in his body and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. He closed his eyes as he felt shackles cuff his hands together.  
  
"Seignior Onofre will be pleased to see you." one of the guards said, but his laughter was replaced with a loud CLANG and an "Ooof!" before he dropped to the ground.  
  
Miguel, with his eyes still closed, heard a great clamor of punches landing, grunts, groans, screams, and the clatter of armor falling to the ground. Then, when all was quiet, he felt his wrists being unshackled.  
  
"It's okay, Miguel. You're safe now." a familiar voice said  
  
Before he fell into unconsciousness, a single word passed Miguel's lips. "Ch-Chel?....." 


	5. Old Friend

Even with closed eyelids, he could tell that he wasn't alone. With a painful groan, Miguel slowly opened his eyes and rested his hand on his forehead. Through his blurred vision he could make out moldy walls and a roof with various holes punched through. "Where am I?"  
  
"It's okay Miguel. You're safe now."  
  
That voice again. "Chel?"  
  
She smiled sweetly. "Hey Miguel. Long time no see."  
  
Miguel noticed the drastic changes in her. Her hair was cut extremely short so that she looked like a little boy and her simple native outfit had been replaced by an tattered, oversized shirt and a pair of slacks. Her jewelry was also gone and it looked like she had lost a lot of weight. Despite her new look, she was still a stunning beauty.  
  
"He awake?" a gruff, Italian man asked from the doorway. He was probably a few inches taller than Tulio and had an impressive physique and long brown hair. He made his way towards Miguel and kneeled down on the floor.  
  
"Yes, Gino, he's awake. Miguel, this is my husband Gino. He's a medic." Chel explained when she noticed Miguel tense when the man began prodding his body.  
  
Gino smirked. "Ha! You mean 'failed medic'. No one ever comes to me for help."  
  
"W-why?"  
  
"Let's just say my medical expertise has done more harm than good. How many fingers do you see?" he asked, holding up three fingers.  
  
Miguel pushed Gino's hand away and stared at Chel. "Why am I here? What happened?"  
  
"Don't you remember? You were near all of those fancy buildings where all of the rich people lived and you were being chased by the guards and-"  
  
"FUCK!" Miguel shoved Gino and Chel out of the way and shot up from the grungy mat on the floor. "I-I-We gotta go!!! Now!!! HURRY!!! WE- OHHHHHH!!!" Miguel sank to his knees and clutched his chest again as his heart tried to hammer it's way out. "Damn...."  
  
"Miguel?" Chel ran to his side and grabbed his shoulders. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing." Miguel panted. He really didn't want to tell them that he tried to kill himself with poison years before and that his insides were rickety ever since. After a few calm and deep breaths the pain was gone, just like always. "We need to go! Tulio's in trouble!"  
  
"Tulio?" Chel's tanned face paled at the thought of her old lover in danger. Sure, she didn't love him (she never did, actually) but she still cared about him. "What happened?"  
  
"Chel, could I speak to you for a minute?" Gino asked, trying to sound sincere but Miguel couldn't ignore the coldness that shown in his eyes. After Gino had picked up his wife and closed the door behind them, Miguel quietly snuck over to the door to eavesdrop.  
  
"Gino, what is wrong with you? A man's life is in danger and you don't want to help?" Chel always seemed to talk shriller and faster whenever she was angry. In the past Miguel would've laughed because he thought she sounded so cute when she was pissed, but he was feeling so much fear and angst for Tulio right now that nothing could make him happy.  
  
Gino's voice roared back, his accent much thicker in his anger. "No, I don't! Especially when that man is the same bastard who slept with you! You told me stories about how much he loved you, AND you told me that he was nothing but a con man!"  
  
"So? What's that have to do with anything?!"  
  
"Oh, per l'amore di Dio! Don't you get it? This is all a scam!"  
  
The sound of a chair scraping the floor told Miguel that Chel must have sat down. "No, I don't get it, dearest. Please enlighten me!"  
  
There was a note of sarcasm in Chel's voice. She always knew how to make a man feel like a fool. She hadn't changed one bit. Good. Miguel could use her cunning and brains in helping to rescue Tulio. But right now he wanted to Gino's "theory" of the situation. Miguel was starting to dislike Gino more and more.  
  
Another chair slid across the room as the Italian sat down as well. "His friend tells you that he's in some sort of peril, you come running to his aid and BOOM! He sweeps you off your feet and takes you away from me!"  
  
"Gino, what the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"He still loves you Chel! That's why he came here! To get you back!" The door slamming open shocked both Gino and Chel so bad that they both nearly fell out of their chairs.  
  
Miguel had heard enough of this jealous, oafish (and clearly wrong) Italian and decided to put an end to this. Tulio still loves Chel? Oh, it was so ironic! Miguel couldn't possibly count all the times Tulio whispered sweet, loving words in his ear or held his hand tightly as they watched the sunrise light up their old shabby house in Spain through the windows. And, of course, the infinite times they made love to each other, sometimes pounding into each other so fierce that their asses were deliciously sore for days, and yet they still continued the mind-blowing sex. There were times that Miguel blacked out in ecstasy for long periods of time, for Tulio always made him come more harder than any woman ever did. He and Tulio put rabbits to shame.  
  
"An interesting query you have there... Gi-no..." Miguel put a long emphasis on the man's name, his eyes spewing fire and hate. "Wrong... But interesting... I mean, you have every reason to believe that Tulio would travel hundreds of miles just to get her back." Miguel sauntered over to Chel and put a hand on her shoulder, an eerily calm grin on his face. "I mean look at her. She's young, beautiful, sweet, smart. The very image of a woman."  
  
Chel was starting to get very worried. Miguel's hold on his obvious rage was growing weaker. "Miguel, please. I-"  
  
"Just a minute! I'm not finished." Miguel smiled sweetly and patted her head. He then turned to her husband, and spoke with increasing intensity, "Although, my good man, Chel is a gorgeous and fine young woman, I don't seem to recall Tulio screaming HER name AS I FUCKED HIM UNTIL HE WAS BLUE IN THE FACE!!!"  
  
It took a while for Gino and Chel to get over Miguel's explosive outburst, but as soon as the words sucked in they yelled, "WHAT?!" in unison.  
  
Miguel's tirade, however, wasn't over yet! "Oh, that's right! Tulio did not come down here to steal your precious little Chel, because he's got ME! WE'VE been together for two whole years and WE moved here TOGETHER! Oh, and when I say together, I mean we're lovers! God, I've had the most fantastic sex with that man, you wouldn't believe it! BUT THAT'S NOT WHY I'M ANGRY! Oh, no!!" Miguel's rage disappeared as a tear ran down his cheek. "The fact that you won't help me save him.... Won't save him.... Won't save us.... OHHH!" Miguel clutched his heart and stomach at the same time. Got, he hated this.  
  
Chel was once again by his side. "Miguel, please tell us what's wrong."  
  
"My insides are messed up!" Miguel snapped as he winced in pain. "The pain only comes when I'm stressed. It'll go away soon."  
  
Gino squatted down next to Miguel on the floor and handed him a cup. "Here, drink this."  
  
Miguel took the cup and drained it before the taste hit his senses. "GYYEGH!!!! Damn it, this stuff's terrible! It tastes like rotten fish and skunk!"  
  
"Sì, but how do you feel now?"  
  
Miguel was about to yell at the bastard that he felt like shit, but before he could utter a sound, he found out that he didn't. "I... I feel.... fine." He stared at Gino's smiling face for a second before the anger returned. "Well, thank you for the potion, but if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue MY Tulio."  
  
"Miguel, wait! Please!" Chel grabbed Miguel by the arm before she walked out the door and looked up to him with her big brown eyes. "Do you even know where he is?"  
  
"I can find it myself."  
  
"No you can't, my friend." Gino said. "You are not familiar with this territory and you are being hunted. How long do you think you'll last?"  
  
"I'll be fine, and I'm not your friend."  
  
"But you're mine." Chel said as she tightened her grip on the blonde. "Look... I know Tulio and I left on bad terms, but I still care a great deal about him AND you. And it makes me happy that you two are in love. But if Tulio's in danger, then I want to help."  
  
Miguel looked into her eyes. She was a very accomplished liar, but he could clearly see that she meant what she was saying. "All right. I guess I can use all the help I can get."  
  
Gino rose from the floor and walked over to his wife and Miguel. "I would like to help too. He made be injured and I can help."  
  
Miguel's sneer returned. "Ah, now that you know what Tulio likes, you want to help." He looked at Chel and sighed. "Fine, you can come. But just-stay- out-of-my-way." He gently took his arm from Chel's grasp and walked outside.  
  
"Wait, Miguel, where're you going?!" Chel cried.  
  
"To the forest!" he cried back. " Come on!"  
  
Chel glared at her husband. "Nice going."  
  
"What?" 


End file.
